The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-04-16


mittee, beating the country for the
thieves, and who, if they We're made
aware of my position. would quickly
relieve me.
"And now, how frightfully near tho
train seemed to be! | could hear the
Steady roar as it swept onward toward
me, and with wild agony l once
more desperately strove with my
bonds.
This time ! was so eflectually
choked by my violent exertion thai !
quite lost my senses for 1 know not
how long, but gradually recovering,
and gasping heavily for breath, | open
ed my eyes and saw lurid tinge light
ing up the trees and the heavens, be.
You'd the bend in the track.
1.-The locomotive was bearing down
upon me with lightning speed, and
soon all would be over; a few more
minutes, or perhaps seconds, and
would be ground to pieces under the
wheels.
Il now fully realized that it was use
less for me to struggle further, as had
not time to liberate myself even if such
Il thing was possible.
II had struggled so desperately that
mind and body were in an exhausted
state, and l quietly lay there awaiting
the shock, thinking that my agony OF
mind and body would soon be over
But as this thought passed through my
mind, the voice | had heard before
again broke the stiffness: Itell YOU
heard it again, and it sounded just like
person half-choked, and then saw &
person slowly emerge from the gloom
very near, and a little in front of me
within range of my vision, and approach
directly towards me.
Il recollect thinking how slowly an(
deliberately this man approached, whel
there was such need of great haste.
"All at once, and just as the strange
had drawn near me, a binding glar,
came around the bend, and the roar o
the express train filled the air. At tn,
same instant that the headlight of tn
locomotive came into view recOllec
hearing the stranger yell, in one o
horror: John! quick! here's mai
tied dOlC1 on the trackr
after that l have no clear recolleC
ton, but can dimly remember, lik
seeing through a haze, that some on
savagely tore up the stakes and drag
ged me roughly around-a blindin
glare and terrific roar and rush, an
tn was the last l knew of any thin
until two days after,
II then woke up and found myse'
lying on bed within a room, Will
several men stood around. One {
them. whom afterward ascertained {
be physician, spoke, when he oil
served that was awake: He's con
ing out all right. The fever has LEI
him. He'll soon be on his feet again
} "One of the other persons in tn
room now addressed me: Pretty clos
, call you've had, stranger! If we
been minute, or even half or quar-
ter of Il minute later, you'd have bee
t ground to powder under them cal
wheels. 1t was just a touch-and-g
| case, and the next minute after /
dragged you off the track the EXPIRE,
went by; was so near that the suctio
: knocked me over, and you had fainte
dead away
There is very little more of intcreS
to tell learned afterward that h
, been rescued by two members of tn
f vigilance committee, who were on
t scout after the thieves, having a Gle
, to their whereabouts.
, Shortly after my rescue, othC
= members of the committee had disco
( cred the rendezvous of the thieve
which was very close to where the
c captured me, and surprising them, cal
t tured the whole gang. My poke
book, with my money intact, had bee
; taken from one of them, probably fro
my brief acquaintance, Jed,
"But | never saw any of them afte
4 ward; for as soon as | was able to ira
/ el. started for home, with my hair
U white as you see it now. 1t was blaC
when l was tied down upon the trac
( and the men who released me say
was snowy white when they draggt
= me from the rails. IL uth'S C0mpd
e i0n